California SB 54 creates a real packaging challenge for ecommerce brands. You need to reduce plastic packaging while protecting products, keeping fulfillment efficient, controlling costs, and delivering an experience that still feels like your brand.

That does not mean replacing every plastic component with paper overnight. It means looking at each packaging format, understanding what job it performs, and finding the lowest-disruption way to use less plastic.

For some products, recycled paper mailers are an easy switch. For others, a right-sized box and paper cushioning will work better. And when plastic is still operationally necessary, thinner films and higher recycled content can reduce reliance on virgin plastic while preserving the performance your fulfillment team needs.

The strongest California SB 54 plastic-reduction plans are not built around a single dramatic packaging overhaul. They combine several realistic changes that work for the product, the customer, and the operation. The goal is not to eliminate plastic at any cost. It's to reduce plastic where practical while maintaining the protection, performance, and customer experience your products require.

Key Takeaways

• SB 54 measures plastic reduction against a 2023 baseline, so growing brands must plan around total plastic weight.

• Start with the highest-volume plastic components rather than small, low-impact items.

• Paper mailers, right-sized boxes, and paper cushioning can remove plastic when they meet the product’s performance needs.

• When plastic remains necessary, lightweighting and downsizing reduce total plastic; PCR content serves a different sustainability goal.

• Test alternatives using real products, fulfillment processes, and shipping conditions before scaling.

• Preserve the unboxing experience through fit, clear disposal guidance, thoughtful printing, and fewer unnecessary layers.

Table of Contents

• What Does California SB 54 Require Brands to Change?
• Where Should You Start Reducing Plastic Packaging?
• When Do Recycled Paper Mailers Work Best?
• How Can Right-Sized Packaging Reduce Plastic?
• What Can Replace Plastic Bubble Wrap and Void Fill?
• What Should You Do When Plastic Is Still Necessary?
• How Do You Preserve a Premium Unboxing Experience?
• What Changes When You Print on Paper Instead of Plastic?
• How Should You Test Plastic Packaging Alternatives?
• Start Building Your SB 54 Packaging Plan Now
• Frequently Asked Questions

Retail bag made with seaweed, plants, and compostable polymers. Source: EcoEnclose

Some products still need the moisture resistance, flexibility, transparency, puncture resistance, or barrier performance that plastic provides.

In those cases, focus on reducing plastic where you can through lightweighting, right-sizing, recycled content, or removing unnecessary secondary packaging.

Lightweight the package

A thinner film can reduce plastic weight while preserving the same basic packaging format. This may be one of the least disruptive changes for operations because the mailer, bag, or wrap still functions in a familiar way.

Test carefully. A thinner material that tears more often can create product loss, repacking, and customer service problems.

Use a smaller size

A mailer that is several inches larger than the product uses unnecessary material on every order. Review your highest-volume SKUs and identify where a smaller format can work without making packing difficult or placing excessive stress on the seams.

Increase post-consumer recycled content

Recycled-content poly reduces demand for virgin plastic while maintaining many of the operational characteristics that make poly useful.

It is important to understand that recycled content and source reduction are not the same thing. Increasing post-consumer recycled content may support broader sustainability and recycled-content goals, but it may not reduce the package’s total plastic weight.

Remove secondary plastic

A plastic shipping mailer may be necessary, but the individual garments inside it may not each need a separate poly bag. Or the inner bags may be replaceable with paper bands, roll wrapping, or another low-plastic presentation system.

Secondary packaging is often where brands find meaningful reduction without changing the outer shipping format.

Source: Unsplash

Reducing plastic doesn't have to diminish your brand experience. In many cases, removing unnecessary layers actually creates a cleaner, more intentional unboxing experience. Customers get to the product faster, the materials are easier to sort and recycle, and every component feels purposeful rather than simply adding bulk.

A sustainable unboxing experience usually depends on four things.

1. A package that fits

A well-fitted mailer or box communicates care before the customer reads any copy. It protects the product without surrounding it with obvious waste.

2. A clear material story

Customers should not need a materials science degree to understand what to do with the package. Use direct language such as:

• Made with recycled paper

• Recycle with paper

• Reuse this mailer for your return

• Made with post-consumer recycled plastic

• Recycle with plastic film where accepted

Only print claims that are accurate for the specific package and the markets where it will be sold. Our team reviews claims and disposal language to help brands communicate clearly and avoid vague or unsupported sustainability messaging.

3. A controlled reveal

A product wrapped once in well-folded recycled tissue can feel more considered than one buried under plastic pillows, bubble wrap, inserts, and multiple inner bags. EcoEnclose tissue paper is made from recycled paper fibers and can add presentation without introducing another plastic component.

4. Consistency with the rest of the brand

The material, print, copy, and opening sequence should feel connected to the product and the digital experience that led to the purchase.

A minimalist skincare brand may need a clean box, one-color print, and carefully folded tissue. An outdoor brand may prefer kraft textures, rugged construction, and direct recycling instructions. A playful subscription brand may use interior printing to create personality without adding an extra insert.

The right design is not the one with the most packaging. It is the one that makes every component earn its place.

A material transition changes more than the package specification. It changes how the design behaves.

Paper absorbs ink differently from plastic. Recycled kraft carries natural variation. Fine details, light colors, and low-contrast artwork may reproduce differently than they do on a smooth white film.

That does not make paper less premium. It means the artwork should be designed for the material rather than copied from the old package without adjustment.

Use contrast intentionally

Dark, saturated inks usually reproduce more clearly on natural kraft than pale colors. If exact brand-color matching is essential, review physical swatches rather than approving color from a screen alone.

Let the material participate in the design

Natural kraft does not need to imitate glossy plastic. Its texture and fiber variation can become part of the brand presentation.

A simple one-color print can look more confident than an overly detailed design fighting against the substrate.

Prioritize readable disposal instructions

Leave enough space for customers to understand the end-of-life pathway. Avoid hiding important disposal guidance in tiny copy near a seam or closure.

Test barcodes, QR codes, and small type

Scannable elements and fine typography need adequate contrast, quiet space, and print resolution. Test them on the actual substrate before production.

Consider the entire package, not just the front panel

Custom printing can support the unboxing experience through interior messages, opening instructions, return guidance, or a short explanation of the material choice.

EcoEnclose offers customizable packaging across paper mailers, boxes, padded mailers, recycled-content poly, tissue, tape, and other formats. Available print capabilities depend on material, volume, and production method.

Do not approve a material switch based only on a sample sitting on a conference table. Pack real products. Use the same equipment and process your fulfillment team uses. Then test the package under the conditions it is likely to face.

A practical evaluation should cover:

• Product fit and movement

• Pack speed and ease of sealing

• Drop and impact performance

• Puncture and abrasion resistance

• Moisture exposure

• Label adhesion and scan performance

• Customer opening and return experience

• Damage rates and repacking needs

• Storage space at your facility or 3PL

Test the most difficult use case, not only the easiest one. If you ship apparel, include a bulky order and a garment with a sharp zipper or buckle. If you ship glass, test the heaviest product and the longest shipping zone. If you ship products through a 3PL, involve the packing team before final approval.

A phased rollout is often the safest path. Start with one high-volume SKU, one packaging size, or one product category. Compare the new format against the current package and correct problems before scaling.

This is where ecommerce packaging compliance becomes an operational program rather than a one-time purchasing decision.

California SB 54 makes planning ahead more important than ever. The closer you get to a reporting deadline or reduction target, the fewer options you have. Material testing gets rushed, existing inventory becomes harder to manage, and packaging decisions that should be strategic turn into last-minute fixes.

You don't need to replace every plastic component at once. You do need a clear plan for what changes first, what needs testing, and which swaps will have the biggest impact.

EcoEnclose can help you compare practical plastic packaging alternatives, test materials with your products, and find packaging solutions that support compliance without compromising your brand experience.

Explore our California SB 54 resource hub to learn more about the legislation, or browse our sustainable packaging solutions to start planning your next packaging upgrade.

Can paper mailers handle rain and wet delivery conditions?

Some paper mailers offer more water resistance than others, but paper should not automatically be treated as waterproof. Test the specific mailer with your product, sealing method, shipping zones, and expected weather exposure. Products that cannot tolerate moisture may need a water-resistant paper format, additional product protection, or a recycled-content plastic mailer.

Will switching from poly to paper increase my shipping costs?

It can, depending on the paper format, package size, product weight, and carrier pricing. Paper may weigh more than a comparable thin-film mailer, while right-sizing can reduce dimensions and offset part of that difference. Compare the fully loaded cost, including packaging, freight, dimensional weight, EPR fees, damage, packing labor, and storage.

What should I do if one packaging format works for most products but not all of them?

Use more than one format. A paper mailer may work for most apparel SKUs, while products with sharp hardware, high moisture sensitivity, or unusual dimensions remain in recycled-content poly or a box. SB 54 planning does not require every product to use the same solution.

How far ahead should we start testing new packaging?

Start before the current package is close to running out. Material testing, artwork changes, print approvals, operational trials, production, and freight all take time. More complex custom formats need a longer runway than stock packaging. Build transition dates backward from your compliance targets and inventory needs.

Can we use branded tissue or inserts without undermining plastic reduction?

Yes, as long as each component has a clear purpose and the material claims are accurate. Recycled tissue can protect the product and improve presentation without adding plastic. Printed inserts can explain disposal or product information, but they should not be added solely to make the package feel fuller.

Is recycled-content poly enough to meet SB 54 plastic reduction requirements?

Not by itself. Recycled content reduces reliance on virgin resin, but a package can contain more recycled material without weighing any less. Source reduction focuses on lowering total plastic weight, so combine recycled content with lightweighting, downsizing, elimination, or material substitution where feasible.

What if a plastic-free alternative causes more product damage?

Do not scale it until the problem is resolved. Adjust the package size, material grade, cushioning method, or format, then retest. If the product still requires plastic for reliable protection, use the lightest effective format, maximize recycled content where possible, and pursue deeper reductions in other components.